Knockdown structure and component frame therefor



July 7, 1964 s RUBIO ETAL 3,139,987

KNOCKDOWN STRUCTURE AND COMPONENT FRAME THEREFOR Filed Feb. 28, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 ill INVENTORS fizwvr/fiaa Bus/0 ATTORNEY KNOCKDOWN STRUCTURE AND COMPONENT FRAME THEREFOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 S. RU BIO ETAL July 7, 1964 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 ATTORNEY July 7, 1964 s. RUBIO ETAL KNOCKDOWN STRUCTURE AND COMPONENT FRAME THEREFOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 28, I962 INVENTORS 234/5 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,139,987 KNOCKDOWN STRUCTURE AND COMPONENT FRAME THEREFOR Santiago Rubio and German Rubio, both of Apartado aereo 6683, Bogota, Colombia Filed Feb. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 176,505 8 Claims. (Cl. 211-182) This invention relates generally to knockdown or demountable structures and more particularly to knockdown furniture, stands, scaffolds, or similar structures formed of a plurality of identical frames which may be readily detachably connected in a variety of different combinations without the use of conventional fastening devices such as screws, nuts, pins and without the use of tools.

Prior to the present invention, the assembly and disassembly for storage, change of form, or transportation of this type of structure has required the services of an expert as the task is too diificult for the average homeowner due to the bewildering array of different sized parts and fastening means therefor.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved knockdown structure and elements therefor which may be readily assembled and disassembled by anyone without requiring the services of an expert, the use of fastening devices, or the use of tools, and in a shorter period of time than other generally similar structures.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a. novel frame of such construction and inherent flexibility as to be readily connected to (or disconnected from) a plurality of identical frames in a variety of positions to form a strong knockdown structure of'any of a number of different types and be firmly retained in the assembled positions by the tension of the cooperating frames.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a knockdown or demountable structure of identical units of the type described which affords an attractive integral appearance due to the design of the frames, the manner of connecting the same, and the elimination of fastening. devices therefrom, which is thus suitable for use for interior decoration as a room divider etc., and which is inexpensive to install, change in appearance, or disassemble in that the services of an expert are not required.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide an improved, knockdown structure formed of identical members which may be interconnected in different ways so as to afford a large number of dilferent combinations of arrangement as compared to known structures.

A still further important object of the present invention is to provide an improved knockdown structure and frame for constructing the same which is susceptible of ready and economic manufacture, and is simple but sturdy and of long life in use.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings we have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

FIG. '1 is a plan view of a novel embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of one of the members of the frame;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlarged scale illustrating the connection of a horizontal frame to a vertical one;

3,139,987 Patented July 7, 1964 FIG. 6 is a similar view showing the addition of a second vertical frame;

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the addition of a second horizontal frame;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the connection at a point intermediate the ends of the vertical frame; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective diagrammatic view to a reduced scale of one form of knockdown structure possible with a plurality of connected frames and embodying at least one connection of each of the types shown in FIGS. 5-8 inclusive.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4 inclusive of the drawings, numeral 10 designates as a whole the novel frame of the invention which comprises a pair of spaced, longitudinally extending rods forming a beam 12 which is parallel to but laterally spaced from a similarly arranged pair of spaced rods forming a beam 14, the four rods of the two beams being rigidly connected at their midpoints by a transversely extending rod 16 by welding, etc. The plane through the spaced rods of beam 12 or 14 is at right angles to the plane through the laterally spaced beams 12 and 14.

The spaced rods of beams 12 and 14 are rigidly connected at points spaced from their ends by stops 18, by welding, and also at points closely spaced from their ends by the out-turned flanges 20 of the legs 22 of a U-shaped brace 24, the ends of the base of the brace bearing against but not being connected to the stops 18. The stops are engaged by the legs 22 and prevent the ends of the beams 12 and 14 being moved towards each other.

It will be appreciated that the plane of the end braces 24 and the central rod 16 is intermediate the planes through the upper rods of the beams 12, 14 and the lower rods of the beams 12, 14 as seen in FIGURE 2 and that the brace 24 will resist deflection or deformation of the beam ends toward or away from each other. The rods of the frame members thus far described are preferably tubular, or rod or round bar stock of the same diameter as shown and may be formed of metal, plastic, or equivalent material of such size as to embody a flexibility which will enable their ready flexing to enable coupling with similar members of identical frames as will be described.

The outer sides of the beams 12 and 14 are provided with radially outward projecting lugs 26 at regularly spaced points commencing at the ends of the beams. These lugs have a length equal to one half thev spacing between the adjacent rods of the beam 12 or 14 so that when identical frames 10 are placed in end-to-end abutting relationship (FIGS. 6 and 7) the inner edge faces of the lugs of a vertical frame will engages the beams 12 or 14 of an adjacent horizontal frame and function as a support therefor.

A semi-cylindrical notch 28 of the same diameter as the rods of the frame members, is formed in the inner face of each of the beams 12 and 14 at points spaced from the ends by the length of the lugs 26. The axis of each semi-cylindrical notch is at right angles to the plane through beams 12, 14,

It is to be noted that the side beams 12 and 14 of the frame 10, being rigidly connected to each other at five points by the members 16, 18 and 20, are very rigid and inflexible in a vertical plane (FIGS. 1-3) whereas relative lateral flexibility is only limited by the U-shaped brace 24 which has a flexibility of its own. Thus, the ends of a given frame 10 may be spread or flexed by a force applied as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1 so as to encompass the beams of an adjacent identical frame to permit them to be seated in the semi-cylindrical notches 28. Upon release of the spreading force on the beam ends, their resistance to elastic deformation causes them to tightly grip the beam ends seated in the notches 28 against displacement.

Any number of frames 10 may be readily interconnectedwith each other to form simple or complex knockdown structures for use as furniture, stands, scaffolds, room-dividers, etc., and an example thereof disclosing the different ways of coupling one frame to one or more other identical frames without the use of fastening devices is diagrammatically shown in FIG. 9.

The coupling of a horizontal frame to a vertical frame as generally indicated at A, is shown in detail in FIG. 5. In order to make use of the spaced lugs as frame supports, as will appear, the ends of a horizontal frame are always placed outside the ends of a vertical frame although the frames may be coupled in reverse. The ends of the beams 12 and 14 at one end of the horizontal frame 10 are manually flexed outwardly as shown by the arrows of FIG. 1. This movement is opposed by the resistance of the four rods of the beams 12 and 14 and of the legs 22 and base of the U-shaped brace. This elastic deformation is indicated in dotted lines at the left of FIG. 1. I

As soon as the semi-circular notches 28 of the horizontal frame 10 are aligned with the closer rods of the vertical frame beams 12 and 14, the ends of the horizontal frame are released upon which, in attempting to return to their unstressed position, they engage and tightly clamp the two adjacent rods of the vertical frame. The operation is then repeated at the other end of the horizontal frame.

The coupling of two vertical frames and one horizontal frame as is generally indicated at B in FIG. 9, is shown in detail in FIG. 6 wherein the procedure is the same as described in connection with FIG. except that the upper vertical frame is first positioned as shown and the ends of the horizontal frame beams are then spread to engage both the upper and lower vertical frames simultaneously.

The coupling of two vertical and two horizontal frames as is generally indicated at C in FIG. 9, is shown in detail in FIG. 7. The procedure is the same as in FIG. 6 except that the second horizontal frame may be positioned first or second as is most convenient depending on the nature of the knockdown structure being constructed. It is to be noted, as shown in both FIGS. 6 and 7, that the upper rods of the horizontal frame beams are supported on the lugs 26 at the lower end of the upper vertical frame.

The coupling of a horizontal frame to a vertical frame at a position intermediate the upper and lower ends of the latter as is generally indicated at D in FIG. 9, is shown in detail in FIG. 8. The clamping action of the horizontal beam ends will normally retain the frame in any adjusted position. Where the horizontal frame is to bear a heavy load, it may be positioned on some of the spaced lugs 26. The use of the lugs is also a safety feature in preventing or limiting accidental sliding movement of one frame with respect to another, and, in the case of the lugs on the ends of the beams, the uncoupling of one frame from another due to sliding movement past an end.

It will now be apparent that a plurality of the frames may be coupled in many different combinations to form many different types of knockdown structures which are strong and rigid due to the resistance to elastic deformation of the coupled inner and other frame ends which thus cooperate (the inner ends undergoing substantially no deformation or deflection) to form a strong coupling between frames. If desired, the diameter of the rod or tube forming the brace 24 may be greater than that of other frame members to increase the resistance of the frame to elastic deformation.

The elimination of conventional fastening devices such as screws, nuts, pins, etc. and the absence of unsightly cavities normally provided therefor provides an extraordinary improvement in aesthetic appearance and in the case of assembly and disassembly of any desired knockdown structure due to making use of the flexible properties of the material of the frame and its resistance to elastic deformation.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resored to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A frame connectible with a plurality of identical frames at least one of which is arranged at right angles thereto to form a knockdown structure comprising a pair of spaced parallel beams, a rod rigidly connecting said beams at their midpoints, the ends of said beams being flexibly displaceable toward and away from each other, a U-shaped brace having outwardly flanged legs rigidly fixed to and connecting the ends of said beams by the flanged legs at points inwardly spaced from the beam ends to permit flexing thereof, and notches formed in the inner faces of the said beams adjacent the ends and conforming with the outer surface thereof to receive and clamp the beams of an identical frame upon the flexing of the ends of said beams to pass over said identical frame beams.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said frame is of metal.

3. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein said frame is of plastic.

4. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said beams comprises a pair of spaced rods connected by said braces and said midpoint rod, and said notches are semi-circular.

5. A structure as recited in claim 4 wherein said U- shaped brace is formed of material of a diameter the same as said rods.

6. A structure as recited in claim 4 wherein said U- shaped brace is formed of material of a diameter larger than said rods.

7. A structure as recited in claim 4 wherein stops are fixed to said spaced rods adjacent the base of said brace to act as a fulcrum therefor upon flexing of the ends of said beams.

8. A structure as recited in claim 3 wherein lugs are disposed at spaced intervals along the outer surface of said beams to enable at least one frame to be interposed between two parallely disposed frames.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,095,858 Harrison May 5, 1914 2,201,608 Causey May 21, 1940 2,316,560 Causey Apr. 13, 1943 2,589,304 Spangler Mar. 18, 1952 2,894,643 Maslow July 14, 1959 2,919,817 Maslow Jan. 5, 1960 2,988,844 Frimberger June 20, 1961 3,037,588 Causey June 5, 1962 

1. A FRAME CONNECTIBLE WITH A PLURALITY OF IDENTICAL FRAMES AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS ARRANGED AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO TO FORM A KNOCKDOWN STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL BEAMS, A ROD RIGIDLY CONNECTING SAID BEAMS AT THEIR MIDPOINTS, THE ENDS OF SAID BEAMS BEING FLEXIBLY DISPLACEABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, A U-SHAPED BRACE HAVING OUTWARDLY FLANGED LEGS RIGIDLY FIXED TO AND CONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID BEAMS BY THE FLANGED LEGS AT POINTS INWARDLY SPACED FROM THE BEAM ENDS TO PERMIT FLEXING THEREOF, AND NOTCHES FORMED IN THE INNER FACES OF THE SAID BEAMS ADJACENT THE ENDS AND CONFORMING WITH THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF TO RECEIVE AND CLAMP THE BEAMS OF AN IDENTICAL FRAME UPON THE FLEXING OF THE ENDS OF SAID BEAMS TO PASS OVER SAID IDENTICAL FRAME BEAMS. 